Women’s History Month is the annual celebration of the contributions and achievements of women in United States history. While so much has been accomplished in the fight for equal rights, we also know that the path toward true justice is long.
Our Jewish tradition encourages our active participation in such efforts. As descendants of those who faced extreme oppression, we understand that we cannot stay silent as fellow Americans are treated differently on the basis of their gender. We also know that we come from a tradition that has marginalized women, and we proudly embrace a contemporary Judaism that values women, trans, and non-binary individuals equally to men. The Jewish Center for Justice is committed to fighting back against persistent gender injustice that leads to the marginalization of over half of our population.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’ve compiled a short (but non-exhaustive) list of actions we as a Jewish community can take to achieve justice outcomes for equality. Sadly, many of these action items have appeared on previous action alerts reminding us that the fight for equal rights is long. This year we must not only make our calls to the Senate, but we must also hold accountable elected officials who are standing in the way of justice and progress.
1. Help Codify Roe
Following last year’s horrific Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court, we quickly saw states like Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri restrict abortion access. Meanwhile, states like California, Minnesota, and New York responded with legislation that protects the right to abortion access and helps individuals from other states who are seeking abortion access find refuge and reproductive care.
We call on the 118th Congress to re-introduce The Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe and make abortion access the law of the land. Click here to take action.
2. Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
On January 27, 2022, the two-year anniversary of Virginia’s ratification of the ERA and the date the ERA went into effect, President Biden called on Congress to pass legislation affirming the ERA’s validity.
The Jewish Center for Justice joins the Equal Rights Amendment Coalition in calling on Congress to support the resolution that would affirm the validity of the ERA and remove the time limit. Click here to take action.
- Follow AND Support Women’s Rights organizations
National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro Choice America, and Center for Reproductive Rights are all causes worthy of our deep support. Please follow these organizations on social media and support them as you would the Jewish Center for Justice.
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What are you doing, be it on a national level or in your own community, to help advance the cause of women’s rights? There are of course hundreds of other actions we can all take, so let us know how you plan to act.